Wild Caught Mountain Lion Sentenced to Zoo

Wild lion captured in Tulsa finds home in Kansas zoo

The large cat was captured from the back yard of a home in the 1400 block of North Quanah Avenue on April 23 and was taken to the zoo’s holding facilities in the veterinary hospital where she was treated for hookworms and roundworms, which caused anemia and poor appetite, as well as ticks and fleas. Courtesy

By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer
Published: 1/4/2012  10:32 AM
Last Modified: 1/4/2012  10:32 AM

The mountain lion that was captured in Tulsa in April has found a new home at a zoo in Kansas.

The female mountain lion, which had been cared for at the Tulsa Zoo’s veterinary hospital, was relocated to the Ralph Mitchell Zoo in Independence, Kan., in December.

The large cat was captured from the back yard of a home in the 1400 block of North Quanah Avenue on April 23 and was taken to the zoo’s holding facilities in the veterinary hospital where she was treated for hookworms and roundworms, which caused anemia and poor appetite, as well as ticks and fleas.

Before the transfer, a final examination showed she was in good health and full recovery from her previous ailments.

The mountain lion had no tattoos or tags to indicate she was once in captivity and DNA samples were taken and determined her profile matched mountain lions in South Dakota.

Angela Evans, zoo spokeswoman, said because the mountain lion had been cared for by humans for such an extended period and learned to associate humans with a food supply, she could not be released into the wild.

Because the Tulsa Zoo does not have a suitable exhibit for a mountain lion, another home had to be found and zoo officials have been looking for a capable facility since her arrival.

Numerous facilities were contacted and each had to submit information on exhibit space, veterinary care, photos of the exhibit and references, and the Ralph Mitchell Zoo’s exhibit is spacious with a pool, natural rock outcroppings, and trees.

By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120104_11_0_Temuti237531